For the Opening Ceremony of the Arab Games 2011, technical innovation played a major role and marked two ‘world firsts.’ With 86 projectors video mapping 126,000 cubic meters on the field of play, the show set a world record with the largest stadium projection surface attempted in history. Also for the first time in stadium entertainment, the 40,000-strong audience was integrated into the display surface to form a giant LED ‘screen’ made up of 85,000 individual pixels.
Creatively, the cultural display, “Journey to Light”, represented the coming together of countries from around the region to deliver a message of peace, and marked the first major peacetime event of the region. According to Abdulla Al Mulla, (Director of Ceremonies and Media), the Ceremony “…sent a message of peace and unity, and is something we know Arabs will be proud of for years to come.”
One of most important achievements was creating a show that embraced, celebrated and payed tribute to Arabic traditions and values, making it truly relevant to an Arabic audience both locally (live) and regionally (broadcast) without politicising the subject matter.
Not only did the Opening Ceremony contribute to a philosophical legacy of the importance of human rights and freedom but it also left enduring economic benefits by working with the region’s local suppliers and artisans to deliver a majority of the show elements.
The integration of local and regional performers, poets, composers and designers further reinforced DAE’s commitment to the development of sustainable production choices.
